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Home , Constitutional monarchy

FCPS World II SOL Standards: WHII 6b and 6c Absolute Monarchs and the (1500s-1800s C.E.) You Mean They Really Cut off the English ’s Head? Absolute Due to exploration and trade, European countries became stronger, and the monarchs centralized their power. They claimed to rule by divine right. The and queens said that their reign had come directly from the will of God. These strong rulers were called absolute monarchs. Although there were absolute monarchs throughout , the most famous were Louis XIV of and Peter the Great of Russia. Louis XIV ruled France from 1643 to 1715. He told his people: “l’etat, c’est moi” (“I am the ”). Louis XIV had the Palace of Versailles built as a symbol of royal power. Peter the Great ruled Russia from 1682 to 1725. Palace of Versailles He led the westernization of Russia. Peter tried to Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Palace_of_Versailles_ reform his country by looking to as a model for change. For example, he ordered people to give up their traditional clothes for Western fashions. Peter even forced the nobles to cut their beards. The monarch also gained part of the coast on the Baltic Sea. He wanted easy travel to the West. Peter built a new port on the Baltic and made it his capital. He called this city St. Petersburg. English Civil War Charles I led from 1625 to 1649. He thought that his rule should be absolute. However, some laws limited the power of the . For example, the nobles had forced the in 1215 to sign the . This document took away some of the monarch’s control and gave privileges to the nobles. Common law and the jury trial had also granted some rights to people other than the king. Charles I, supported by the , argued with (legislature) for many years. Both sides thought that they should control taxes, religion, and other main issues. In 1642, the Parliament rebelled against Charles. During the English Civil War (1642-1651) Oliver Cromwell, the leader of Parliament defeated Charles and in 1649, the king was executed. Cromwell ruled England without a monarch until his death in 1658. Development of a Limited The English Civil War: 1642-1645 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_ Civil_War#mediaviewer/File:English_civil_war_ (Constitutional) Monarchy in England map_1642_to_1645.JPG Not everyone was pleased with Cromwell’s strict laws and when he died in 1658, the people and Parliament asked Charles II (son of Charles I) to return to England and restore the monarchy. Charles II ruled from 1660 to 1685, a period known as the . During this time, two main political parties began. They argued over whether Charles II’s brother, who was a Catholic, should become king when Charles II died. (Remember: England broke from the Catholic Church in the 16th century and since then, the monarch was a Protestant). After Charles II passed away in 1685, his brother James did William and Mary Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/ become king, but he was very unpopular and had to run away to France in 1688 to avoid the wiki/File:William_and_Mary_cropped.jpg same fate as Charles I. His daughter Mary and her husband William, who was from the , were invited to rule continued on next page FCPS HS Social Studies © 2014 Absolute Monarchs and English Civil War (cont.) WHII 6b and 6c

Development of a Limited (Constitutional) Monarchy in England (cont.) England. William and Mary took power peacefully in the of 1688. These Protestant monarchs agreed to further limits on their power. They signed the English of Rights in 1689. This document outlined rights for Parliament and also gave some freedoms to the people. In this way, England became a constitutional monarchy. During the 1700s and 1800s, Parliament continued to increase its power. By the 1900s, the prime of the Parliament held all real power. Today, the English monarch is a , or a symbol, but has no control over the .

Key Vocabulary Restore: to bring back or make complete again Glorious Revolution: 1688 peaceful change of power in England when William and Mary Divine right: concept that a monarch’s right Magna Carta: document that took away some took the throne to rule comes directly from the will of God of the English monarch’s power and gave Absolute: complete, total, full privileges to the nobles Constitutional monarchy: a type or of government in which the monarch is only Westernization: adoption of Western Common law: law formed by decisions made a symbol of the country and the legislature European culture and practices, which was by courts, not by the king or the parliament makes all the laws. Examples: England, done by Peter the Great in an attempt to Restoration: period from 1660 to 1685, in , modernize Russia which Charles II brought back the monarchy to England

Quick Review 1. Who signed this document to give more rights to the 2. Which absolute monarch fits the description? English Parliament? A. Charles I A. Charles I B. Charles II B. Charles II C. Louis XIV C. Oliver Cromwell D. Peter the Great D. William and Mary

English Bill of Rights of 1689 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ File:English_Bill_of_Rights_of_1689.jpg

3. Who restored the monarchy to England in 1660? 4. What were at least three reasons why England developed a A. Charles I constitutional monarchy? B. Charles II C. Oliver Cromwell D. William and Mary

Connection to Today Resources The English Bill of Rights limited the power of the English monarchy. Learn 360 What factors limit the power of the President of the United States today? ● Peter the Great: http://goo.gl/CWCi0W Library Databases - GALE

● Magna Carta: http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&so rt=DateDescend&tabID=T004&prodId=GIC&resultListType=RESU LT_LIST&searchId=R1&searchType=¤tPosition=1&qrySerId=L ocale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28KE%2CNone%2C11%2 9Magna+Carta%24&userGroupName=fairfaxcps&inPS=true&docId= CJ380240841&contentSet=IAC-Documents&docId=CJ380240841&d ocType=IAC

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